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Use of test day yields for genetic evaluation of sires in Hariana cattle.

Abstract

An early and accurate appraisal is essential for the maximum genetic progress. Systematic evaluation of bulls needs complete records of their daughters at least for first lactation. The complete records, generally, are not available due to economic constraints, transfer of herds, selling and death of animals. Large expense involved in recording of milk yield data is also a limiting factor for complete recording in rural areas. However, part records or records at some interval may be utilized to evaluate the sires which would increase the rate of genetic progress and would reduce generation interval, cost of recording and maintaining dairy animals with low breeding potentials. Generally, in most of the countries, selection of sire is based on complete lactation yields, which are predicted from individual test day milk records taken at monthly intervals (Pander et al., 1992). Therefore, the objective of this study was to predict the breeding value of sires for first lactation milk yield on the basis of estimated breeding values of test day milk records